


Behind the wall

by EmmaSpencer



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: A lot - Freeform, Friends to Lovers, Greg doesn't mind it, Greg to the rescue, Helpuf Greg, Insecure Mycroft, It's not easy but it worth it., Late Night Calls, M/M, Moving, Mycroft breaks down, Mycroft got dumped, Mycroft lets Greg to his life, Peak behind the wall, Post baskeville, Taking Care of the Kids, Tired Mycroft, Twins, Visit home
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2019-04-29 18:11:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14478348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmaSpencer/pseuds/EmmaSpencer
Summary: Greg goes over to give his report after the events in Baskerville only to find Mycroft crying in his kitchen. On further investigation, he finds out that Mycroft got dumped by his decades long partner, leaving him alone with the twins. Greg sees that Mycroft needs help so he offers it without a second thought.





	1. Chapter 1

“Mr. Holmes?”  
“What?” he snapped, Greg stepped back.  
“Sorry.”  
“Why are you here?”  
“You called me to come.”  
“Did I?...Oh, yes. I need you to go to Baskerville and keep my brother under control.”  
“Okay…I just got back from my holiday…” he said hesitantly.  
“Paid trip.”  
“Thanks. I call you when I know more.”

 

“Mr. Holmes?” Greg stepped to the house cautiously since the front door was open. “Mycroft!” he called his name worriedly. “Mycroft!” he found him in the kitchen. “Sorry the door was open.”  
“Oh…yes DI Lestrade.” he tried to wipe off his tears.  
“Sherlock is fine, everything got settled…if you don’t count the murderer being blown up.”  
“I heard, thank you for your assistance.”  
“Are you all right?”  
“Sure.”  
“Can I help you with something?”  
“You did that.”  
“Something else?”  
“No…” Mycroft sighed when he heard the cry. “Not again.” his whined.  
“I go.” Greg pushed him back to the chair. “Which way?”  
“I go.” Mycroft got up and walked up the stairs, Greg followed him to the baby room.  
“Oh…twins.”  
“Twins.” Mycroft repeated and pick one of them up; Greg picked up the other.  
“Hello dear, hello…” she fell silent. “What is your name little princess?”  
“She is Elisabeth.”  
“Nice to meet you your majesty. I’m Greg.” she smiled at him. “And the little Sir?”  
“Henry.” Mycroft didn’t look at him.  
“May I ask?”  
“He left me.” Mycroft sunk to the rocking chair. “He left me with them…he wanted kids and I gave in. I told him it’s not easy, I told him I work a lot and he said it’s perfectly all right. He’ll stay home with them and I work…I came home one evening, his stuff is gone and the twins on their own. He left them here…he didn’t know when I’ll be back and he left them alone. We were together since university…I did everything for him…and he just walked out on me, not a note, nothing.”  
“Are they yours?” Mycroft nodded.  
“I’m just so tired.” he whispered. “So, so tired.”  
“Don’t you have a babysitter?”  
“I do, but only while I work. I come home earlier and work from home so I can be with them as a father should…they are up all night long, one cries then the other…the house is a mess, I’m way behind in everything…” the little boy started to cry again. Mycroft got up and made his way to the kitchen.  
“Why not call a cleaning service to clean up?”  
“They clean once a week, it was usually enough.”  
“Come a few more times?”  
“I have to call them.” Mycroft looked for the notepad, Greg saw that the fridge was full with post it notes. He saw that it was already written up twice. Mycroft took the little girl out of his hands, Greg looked over the notes while Mycroft prepared food for the kids.  
“You need help.” Greg turned to him.  
“No, I’m fine.”  
“Are you?”  
“I am, I’m fine…I’m fine, I’m fine.” both of them were crying this time. Greg stepped to him taking the bottles out of his hands.  
“It’s okay Mycroft.” he reassured him. “It’s okay.”  
“No.” he sobbed. “Nothing is okay.”  
“It is. Just go up and sleep a few hours…I’m here. I know how to take care of them…promise.”  
“You don’t know what you are getting into.”  
“I do. Go, you need it.”  
“I need it.” he mumbled.  
“Yes.” Greg smiled at him. Mycroft left the chaos.  
“Okay dears, lunch and you sleep too…hopefully.” Greg fed them, changed everyone and tried to put them to sleep. After a long battle everyone got settled.  
“Good. Now a little clean up.” he put in the laundry, cleaned the kitchen, washed the bottles and everything else he could do.

“I’m so sorry Gregory.” Mycroft came down after a while.  
“Better?” Greg put food in front of him.  
“A bit, thank you.”  
“I organised your notes and did what I could. The grocery, the formula and diapers will be here soon. I called the cleaning service and they asked where you need more cleaning…so I told them I’ll call them back because I have an idea.”  
“What idea?”  
“You have a flat too, in the city.”  
“Yes.”  
“Move there, while they small it doesn’t really matter, once they need the space to play outside you come back. It’s smaller, more manageable than this enormous house.”  
“He has a key to that.” Mycroft whispered.  
“I get it back.”  
“You?”  
“Me.”  
“Why?”  
“Because you need help; simple as that.”  
“Like with Sherlock.” he mumbled.  
“Yes.”  
“But there so much to do, I have to take everything there…”  
“It’s really nothing.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“One weekend and everything will be set.”  
“If you say so.”  
“This weekend?”  
“So soon?”  
“Yes. My dad has a truck, I’ll come and we pack.” Mycroft hesitated for a few seconds.  
“All right, thank you.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Last box?”  
“Yes.”  
“Then get the kids, we shouldn’t leave them here.”  
“No.” Mycroft put the carrier to the car. “I guarantee you they’ll be up during packing out.” he whispered.  
“Maybe not.” Mycroft rolled his eyes.  
“When you are around they act like little angles. But when we are alone they are the devil.”  
“I’m sure not.”  
“I leave you with them for a day and talk after it.”  
“Deal.”  
“What?”  
“We put the boxes out and I take them home. You pack out and rest.”  
“You don’t honestly say that.”  
“I do. Look at me and tell me if I’m lying.”  
“You are not.”  
“End of story.”  
“You can bring them home if you can’t deal with them.”  
“I can manage.” he reassured Mycroft. “On we go then!” Greg started the car.

“You look tired.” Mycroft opened the door.  
“Very funny.” Greg went in and put the kids to bed. “They finally fell asleep in the car.”  
“You could have brought them home.”  
“I wanted to give you time to rest.”  
“Very kind of you.”  
“Could you rest?”  
“Yes, thank you.”  
“I have no idea how you do this on your own.”  
“Not so well.”  
“They are alive after all.” Mycroft cursed when the bell rang, he sighed when they didn’t wake and went to open the door.  
“I’m not talking to you.” he tried to close the door.  
“I’m sorry.”  
“Are you!” he yelled waking the twins with it. “You left them alone in the house!”  
“That was a bad decision, I just needed out.”  
“Then stay out.”  
“Who is here with you?”  
“No one.”  
“Is it your lover?”  
“I never cheated on you…never! Now leave!”  
“I want to see them.”  
“They are mine.”  
“Ours.”  
“No, mine! Now leave or I call the police.”  
“Go ahead call them!”  
“DI Lestrade, what seems to be the problem…you must be the one who neglected the children.” he stared at him coldly.  
“I…Fine, this is the last time you see me Mycroft.” Greg shut the door in front of his nose.   
“This is bad, this is really bad.” Mycroft leaned to the wall.  
“Why?” Greg looked at him with confusion.  
“I can’t do this alone, I really can’t…I need him…and he came back…” he turned to open the door. Greg quickly grabbed him and pulled him back to the living room.  
“No running after him!”  
“But…”  
“No Mycroft, he left you, he doesn’t want you or the kids.”  
“He came back.” he whispered.  
“No!”  
“You’ve seen him…he was here.”  
“Mycroft…please listen to me. He left the kids alone in the house…he was irresponsible, he put them in danger not caring about the consequences. He did what was good for himself not caring about you.” Mycroft didn’t answer. “No running after him, promise?”  
“Promise.”  
“If you do, I close you to the flat and have guards at your door.”  
“I promise.”  
“Good…now time to feed them. They eat a lot...”  
“I hope they won’t look like me…I was a fat child.”  
“They need it to grow.”  
“I know, I’m not starving them…everything was fine on their check up.”  
“I believe you.”  
“Why are you helping me?”  
“Told you before, you need it.”  
“But this is not something strangers usually do.”  
“I have no problem with it, I’m already babysitting your brother, this is not different.”  
“You are the babysitter of the Holmes family.”  
“My destiny.” he smiled.  
“No, it’s not. I pressured you into this.”  
“I don’t mind.” he shrugged. “Turned out better then you expected, I think.” Mycroft didn’t answer, he was already putting together food for the twins.  
“Call me whenever you need help, or just a little time off…or just someone who listens to you complaining.”  
“I don’t…”  
“Promise me!” Greg looked at him sternly.  
“Thank you so much.” he sighed.  
“If you excuse me, I go and sleep so I can deal with your brother tomorrow.”  
“Thank you Gregory, for everything.”  
“Sure…See you.”  
“Goodbye.”

 

“Hello!”  
“Please Gregory.” he whispered.  
“I’ll be there soon. Need anything?”  
“Bullet to the head.”  
“That I can’t give you.”  
“Please.”  
“Sorry.”  
“Fine then could you bring me some adult food?”  
“Right away.” he chuckled and put down the phone.  
“Who was that?” Sherlock enquired.  
“No one.”  
“Tell me!”  
“None of your business.”  
“You are dating someone.”  
“And?”  
“She has kids.”  
“How can you tell?”  
“Your suit jacket, there is baby food on it.”  
“Well yes, and?”  
“It’s not going to work.”  
“Why do you say that?”  
“Have any idea how hard it is with a child?”  
“Yes, I have you.” he mumbled and headed for the stairs.   
“I give you a week.” Greg just waved back at them.

“You shouldn’t come if you don’t want to.” Mycroft opened the door.  
“I wanted to, it’s just your brother.”  
“Sorry.”  
“Adult food.”  
“Thank you, I cooked in the weekend but I already run out of it.”  
“Why not eat during the day?”  
“No time.”  
“And nor when you come home.”  
“No.” he mumbled.  
“How angelic looking they are now.” Greg put the food to the counter.  
“Yes, they are rather calm tonight. I wish this could be every day, I really wish...” Mycroft leaned to the counter, resting his head on his hands.  
“With time.”  
“Once they start walking it will be madness.”  
“How the babysitter dealing with them?”  
“Actually well…she doesn’t have a bad word to them. They just honour me with this behaviour.” he sat next to them. “Yes, I’m talking about you my dears…” he smiled. “I work so you have a safe world to live in, so you have a place and food and everything you would want…and you punish me with this. I know I’m not home a lot but still…I love you very much. No regrets…Gregory!”  
“What?” he hurried to him.   
“She sat up! She sat up…see.”  
“I do see.”  
“She is sitting!”  
“Want a picture.”  
“Quickly.” Greg took the photo.   
“She likes sitting around, don’t you Elisabeth. You just need a throne to sit on.” she chuckled and started to cry when his brother pushed her.  
“And he pushed his sister…this is what I taught you?” Mycroft pulled them to his arms. “Hmmm? This is what I taught you.” he kissed him, Mycroft smiled widely at them. Greg stepped back and watched them with a smile. “Say it Gregory.” Mycroft turned to him.  
“Dinner will be ready soon.”  
“Not that.”  
“You look very happy with them.”  
“I do love them.”  
“I never thought different.”  
“Okay, bath time and you let daddy eat. Deal? Please say you agree.”  
“They agree.” Greg picked up Elisabeth.  
“You help?”  
“Well of course…easier, quicker.”  
“Thank you. I get you something else to wear, you’ll be soaked to the bone.”  
“I experienced it. They love to splash around.”  
“Little pirates. Yes you are, yes you are.” he opened the bathroom door. “Oh, the laundry should be done…and I left my suits at the drycleaner again.”  
“I call you to get it tomorrow.”  
“I’d appreciate it.”  
“Can I put this on?” he pointed at a t-shirt.  
“Sure.” Mycroft started the laundry. “Now…to the watery depth we go.” he chuckled.  
Finally they sat down to eat, soaked, tired and starved.  
“What did my brother tell you?”  
“Just the usual.”  
“Gregory…”  
“He said that my girlfriend and I will break up in a few weeks.”  
“Why?”  
“Because she has a small child.”  
“Really? So it’s triple the dose you get.”  
“I’m not dating Mycroft.”  
“No?”  
“Nope.”  
“Why does he think that we are together then?” he frowned.  
“Ask him.” he smiled at him.  
“But you are not even gay.”  
“That is a bit uncertain to be honest.”  
“I don’t understand.”  
“I dated a man in university, I though only to try it out but then I found myself drawn towards a man again.”  
“Oh…talked to him?”   
“Are we gossiping?” he chuckled.  
“Yes…so tell me about him. I might be able to help you; give you advice.”  
“When was the last time you dated?”  
“University.” he whispered.   
“As I thought. Well, he is my age, I feel bit intimidated by him from time to time. He’s clever than me…and really adorable. He doesn’t show it but I’ve seen through the walls and I want to see more.”  
“And he is a mess.” Mycroft mumbled.  
“I don’t think so.”  
“Believe me Gregory.”  
“I wasn’t planning to ask you out immediately, you just broke up with him, you have them…I can understand that you don’t need another relationship now. But I help you if you let me.”  
“Not that I have another choice, I do need help and I trust you.”  
“I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”  
“We’ll see that.” he whispered.  
“In deed.” he smiled at him. “Well, will you be okay on your own for tonight?”  
“Yes, thank you.”  
“Call me if something comes up.”  
“Will do.” Mycroft walked him out. “Drive safe Gregory.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Hello.” Greg mumbled to the phone. “What is it?” he asked when there was no answer.  
“Can’t you hear it?”  
“I can.”  
“The laundry wasn’t dry to bed time and their favourite blanket is still wet. They’ve been crying for hours.”  
“When did you put them down?”  
“Eight.” Greg looked at the clock it was one in the morning.  
“Tried drying it?”  
“I hoped they just get over it and fell asleep. They don’t need one blanket to sleep with, there are other comfy blankets too…”  
“Dry it, they’ll fell asleep then.”  
“How am I going to get them do anything if I can’t even make them fell asleep. Five hours Gregory…five hours…” he whispered.  
“Dry them.”  
“Okay.” he mumbled. “Mind staying up with me?”  
“No.” he turned to his back. “Not at all Mycroft.”  
“Thank you so much.”  
“Are you doing it?”  
“No, I’m crying too.”  
“My, please I know you are tired, they are tired too. Just go to the bathroom, pick up the hairdryer and dry that bloody blanket!”  
“Yes Sir.” Greg heard the door open and the hairdryer. “They don’t dry at all.”  
“It’s been five seconds Mycroft, give it more time.”  
“I just want to run away…I really do Gregory. I’m so sick of it and I shouldn’t because I’m only with them during the afternoon and the evening and morning…I’m barely with them.”  
“You are with them a lot, you do a lot for them.”  
“I’m so tired.”  
“Well of course you are.”  
“I give up.”   
“Mycroft…Mycroft!” the line ended. “Bloody Holmes.” Greg grunted and got out of bed.   
He was glad he had a key, he found Mycroft curled up on the bathroom floor, asleep, the kids stopped crying too. He carefully checked on them and went back to Mycroft.  
“Mycroft, Mycroft.” he shook him. “Wake up My.”  
“No…” he whined and pushed away his hand.  
“Yes, you’ll sleep better in bed.”  
“I want this to end…I really do…I just want peace, I want my life back.” his tears were flowing.  
“If you stop sobbing for a second I show you something.” Mycroft just kept pushing his hand away. “Get up, now!” Greg ordered him sternly. “Now Mycroft!” he pulled him up. “There, now come with me.” he led him to the baby room. “Look at them and tell me you want to run away.” Mycroft looked at them and left the room hurriedly.  
“They deserve better…so much better.”  
“Mycroft, you take good care of them.”  
“I didn’t honestly want them…I only did it for him.”  
“I know, but you love them, you told me several times.”  
“I think so.” he mumbled as he settled to the sofa.  
“To bed with you.” Greg pulled him back up.  
“I want to take a shower.” he whined.  
“In the morning.”  
“No, no…they never let me take a shower in the morning.”  
“I don’t care…bed.” Greg dragged him to bed and tucked him in.  
“He can have them…”  
“We talked about it Mycroft.”  
“I’m so tired…why are they crying so much, why, why…I just want to sleep through the night, I just want a little quiet…I love them but…”  
“Stop talking and sleep then.” Greg sat to the bed pulling Mycroft to his arms, stroking his hair, Mycroft really soon fell asleep. Greg wanted to leave him but Mycroft wasn’t letting him leave. He looked at the clock it was three in the morning, he sighed knowing he won’t sleep this night. 

“Go back to sleep.” Greg whispered and lowered Mycroft to the bed. “I’m here.”  
“Okay.” he mumbled. It didn’t take long for Mycroft to wake up.  
“What are you doing up?”  
“I…you…work?”  
“Not today, I already talked with Anthea.”  
“You?”  
“Me neither.”  
“I still can’t understand why you help me.”  
“I told you.”  
“But…”  
“It’s enough for me.” he shrugged. “Want to join us?”  
“I’m really hungry.” he sat down.  
“No time to feed yourself?”  
“No.”  
“I call Anthea to feed you during the day.”  
“Not her job.”  
“She won’t have a job if you end up in the hospital.”  
“She would.”  
“Nope, I text her.”  
“Now?”  
“Now.” he handed him the spoon. “Henry is fed, Elisabeth remains.”  
“Got it boss.”  
“Done…now some adult food.”  
“I’m so hungry.”  
“I heard it the first time My.”  
“Sorry.” Greg chuckled and started to prepare breakfast for them. He smiled at Mycroft who seemed happy, smiling at his children. “Why smile?”  
“You know why.”  
“I told you when I can sleep I love them.”  
“You barely slept a few hours.”  
“And you none.”  
“I feared you’ll run away.”  
“I wouldn’t do that to them…I’m not him.”  
“I know, still you were in a pretty bad shape last night. You eat, go back to bed and after lunch we go for a walk.”  
“Okay.” he mumbled his head resting on his hands.  
“You need to eat first!”  
“I’m awake…I can’t believe that I’m tired all the time and you have to come over to deal with my breakdowns.”  
“I come over more often so I will see the other side too.”  
“You know where I live.” he smiled.

“Where do you usually walk?” he asked from Mycroft after lunch.  
“In the garden at home.” Greg chuckled.  
“So you get in the car, drive home and walk in the garden.”  
“Yes.”  
“Well that changes now. What about the park?”  
“Sounds all right.”  
“Or we can go to the zoo.”  
“They are not even a year old, what are they going to do there?”  
“Have fun.”  
“You mean we’ll have fun.”  
“Us too, please…I can’t really remember when I was last in the zoo.”  
“All right.”  
“No suit!” Greg called after when he went to get changed.  
“I wasn’t planning to. Am I having three children now?”  
“No.”  
“Seems like.” he came out with a smile. “Who begged to go to the zoo?”  
“You agreed.”  
“I last was there when Sherlock was…eight.”  
“Time to go back. Where is the stroller?”  
“In the car.” he picked them up.   
“Not scared that they wiggle out of you arms.”  
“Not happened before. Coming then or it’s your turn to throw a tantrum?”  
“Have everything?”  
“In the bag.” Mycroft easily closed the door, Greg looked at the stairs uneasily.  
“I take Henry.”  
“If you want to.”  
“To be safe.” Mycroft chuckled. “I’ve never seen you drive.” Greg said when they reached the car.  
“I do, when it’s not for work.” Mycroft put them to the seats.  
“How often it is?”  
“Daily…I’m not a bad driver Gregory, please don’t panic…they can sense it.”   
“Okay.”  
“I will ask for an adult and three children.” Mycroft chuckled.  
“They can go in for free…I think.”  
“Then one child.”   
“Ha, ha. Your daddy is being mean to me…and you just laugh at me. I see whose side you are.”  
“Mine I hope.”  
“Yes.”  
“Good. Have you thought about the looks we’ll get?”  
“No.”  
“There will be; gay parents…stirs up a few. Prepare for the looks and more.”  
“Bad experience.”  
“That is why I only walk in the garden.”  
“It will be all right.”  
“Somehow I don’t share your optimism.”  
“Then why agree?”  
“Because the weather is nice, they need to be out. It’s close, workday…and because I wanted to.” he added reluctantly. “I wanted to go out with you.” Greg smiled widely.  
“Hopefully no one will see me…I’m supposed to be sick.”  
“I take care of that, no worries.”  
“Thanks. Ops…get it.” he reached back for the stuffed fox and picked up from the floor.  
“They are just playing with you. I stopped several times to give them back when I realised that it’s a game. Just wait for the other one.”  
“Why do they have same from everything?”  
“Not same clothes.”  
“No, but the toys…”  
“No arguments, or that is what I hope for…there goes the other one.”  
“We are almost there anyways.”  
“Good thing we can park easily.” Greg helped Mycroft retrieve the stroller.   
“It’s not as warm as I thought, are they dressed warm enough?”  
“Yes.”  
“But you know they…”  
“I do know Gregory…they are fine, promise.”  
“Okay. Need me to carry the bag?”  
“No one needs to carry it.” he chuckled.  
“Sorry.”  
“How did you manage one day with them?”  
“You weren’t there to judge me.”  
“I’m not judging, believe me.”  
“I believe you. Let’s go.”  
“All right my darling boy.” he smiled at Greg widely.   
“I’ve never seen you smile this much.”  
“You wanted more than a peak behind the wall.”  
“I’m not complaining.”  
“Hope so…where should we start?” he asked after they bought the tickets.   
“Anything water based.”  
“You know them well.”  
“Well of course I know my siblings.” he chuckled.  
“They’ll most likely be out in a bit.”  
“I don’t think so…too much exciting things to see.”  
“I’m not betting.”  
“I wasn’t planning to.”  
“I’m just saying…let’s see the penguins!”  
“Always elegant, loves cold…faithful…The dad watches over the baby.”  
“So my kind then.”  
“They are really adorable.”  
“Thank you.”  
“I was talking about the penguins.”  
“Thank you.” Mycroft leaned closer and kissed him. Greg was at first surprised but wrapped his arms around Mycroft pulling him closer.  
“But you kiss better than them.” Mycroft chuckled and gave him another quick kiss.  
“Thank you…you want one too?” Mycroft kissed the twins. “Let’s see them then.”

“Carefully! I don’t want them to wake.”  
“I know My.” Greg really carefully picked up Elisabeth.  
“Had fun?”  
“Really much…thank you for taking me.”  
“I’m happy we went.” Mycroft opened the door, flinching at the noise but no one stirred. “We need to talk.” he whispered.  
“Okay.” Mycroft put the kids to bed.  
“I put on coffee.”  
“Thanks.” Mycroft sat to the island. “We need to talk about us.”  
“You kissed me!”  
“I know that.”  
“And didn’t let go of my hand after it.”  
“I remember that.”  
“So what do we need to talk about?”  
“If we are going to do this or not.”  
“Do what?”  
“Dating…I hope you know that it won’t be as easy as you think.”  
“I know that.”  
“And I came in a package, if you want me you have to get used to them too.”  
“I don’t mind…I think that was clear from me coming here constantly.”  
“It’s not as easy to read you now…I’m always tired.”  
“I know My. Are you sure you want this so soon?”  
“I wouldn’t kiss you if I didn’t mean it.”  
“I hoped.” Mycroft laced their fingers.  
“Don’t mind me breaking down and complaining?”  
“Nope.” he smiled. “It would be strange if you wouldn’t do that.”  
“Why?”  
“Because then you’ll be a robot and not a human being.”  
“Is it good?”  
“That you let me see that you have feeling? And you are not the ice man everyone thinks you to be? Yes.”  
“Are you sure?” Greg leaned through the island and kissed Mycroft.  
“Yes.” he rested his forehead against his. “I’m a hundred percent sure.” he wiped off Mycroft’s tears. “Talk to me.” he whispered.  
“I don’t know, I honestly don’t know.” he whined.  
“It’s okay.” Greg walked around and wrapped his arms around him. “It’s okay.” he stroked his back.  
“I can’t understand why I’m like this.”  
“You are tired.”  
“Not now.”  
“I can see it.” Greg kissed his temple. “You can’t hide it from me.”  
“But why am I so tired all the time.” he whined.  
“You should go to the doctor.”  
“Why?”  
“Because you’re tired all the time…I know you only slept four hours tonight and we went out, but still, I’m worried.”  
“Okay.” he snuggled to his arms.  
“Eat first then you can sleep. I’ll stay tonight too.”  
“Okay.”  
“I talk to Anthea, she’ll get you an appointment.”  
“All right.” he mumbled.  
“Mycroft?”  
“Hmmm.”  
“Love, stand on your own feet please.” there was no answer. “Brilliant.” he somehow managed to get Mycroft to the sofa. He curled up immediately and continued to sleep. Greg brought a blanket and covered him with it.


	4. Chapter 4

“Mycroft.”  
“Results?”  
“Nothing wrong, physically.”  
“Not that surprised Anthea.” he sighed and took the papers from her.  
“Would you consider…”  
“I’m not crazy.” he snapped.  
“I know that, just talk to someone.”  
“I don’t want to.” he whispered.  
“It might help, you’ll be less tired, more time for your Gregory.”  
“I should spend that time with my children.”  
“Ahhh, now I get it.”  
“Get what?”  
“You feel guilty for spending time with Greg too, not dedicating all your time to the twins. When he was still with you, you two had time together, am I right?”  
“Yes.”  
“I spent time with my husband too, we even asked my mother to babysit so we could get away for a few hours or days. It’s okay…you are home with them a lot and Greg practically moved in so you don’t leave them for him. You have the twins and won Gregory too.”  
“If you say so.”  
“So are you willing to talk to someone?”  
“To stop Gregory from terrorising you, you mean?”  
“That too, he is annoying.”  
“Not at all.” he smiled at her. “Yes, I’m willing to go.”  
“Good.”

“You can stop tormenting Anthea…” Mycroft wrapped his arms around Greg.  
“Sorry, I know you listen to her.”  
“I listen to you too.” he sulked.  
“Really?”  
“Yes.”  
“Then why aren’t you eating what she puts in front of you.”  
“No time.”  
“Sure…she makes time for it.”  
“But I need to work more during the day so I can be home earlier and be with them.”  
“I know…still. It’ll take twenty minute tops, twenty minutes My and you can stay healthy, for them…” Mycroft buried his face to his shoulder.  
“How was your day?”  
“Well, thank you…Yours?”  
“I went to see someone.”  
“Who?”  
“Someone who has a degree in talking to people…he said I might be depressed…that is why I’m tired all the time.”  
“Might be.” Greg stroked his back.  
“Don’t you mind?”  
“What?”  
“Me having problems like this.”  
“Not at all.” Greg looked him in the eyes. “Not at all.”  
“Okay.” he mumbled.  
“Dinner?”  
“Sounds good.”  
“I talked with the nanny today.”  
“Why? Please don’t tell me she is quitting!”  
“No, no…I just talked with her about the twins being up so much during the night.”  
“We tried everything.” Mycroft sunk to the chair.   
“She said we could just leave them and wait till they settle themselves.”  
“But that is so cruel.”  
“Not at all. That way they’ll learn to fell asleep and we won’t have to exhaust ourselves.”  
“So we are exhausting?”  
“You know what is exhausting? Explaining it hundred times a day to the world cleverest man that I have no problem with him or his children or his habits and whining and his starving for company and…”  
“So I’m whining.”  
“Love, come here.” Greg extended his arms to pull him in. “Come, please.” Mycroft slowly stepped closer.  
“I don’t want them to just cry alone in the crib.”  
“They are not alone and we are here in case it doesn’t work…please just try it. It’d help tremendously if they’d sleep through the night.”  
“Help with what?”  
“Your energy level. They won’t sleep that much when you get home from work, so you can spend more time playing with them, then sleep during the night…play with them again before work…”  
“I usually just let them sleep if they are sleeping.”  
“I know, but a more structured routine could help. We could feed them in the morning before work, play a little; then comes the nanny and once we home we continue…Please just let us try it.”  
“Okay.” he let Greg hug him. “Okay, we can try…but you need to keep me back from running to them.”  
“I think I can manage.” Greg smiled and kissed him. “Now food for everyone.”

 

“Your turn.” Greg mumbled.  
“Okay, okay.” Mycroft turned to his other side.  
“Mycroft!” Greg shook him.  
“I’m on my way.” he yawned. Greg had enough and pushed him out of bed. “Thank you my dear.”  
“Any time.” Greg pulled the blanket up to his nose. He heard Mycroft yell his name not long after.  
“What?” he staggered to the baby room.  
“Henry is standing!”  
“I can see that.” he rubbed his eyes.  
“And can you understand what am I saying?”  
“He is standing in the middle of the crib crying.”  
“But he is standing! He did it before…” he whispered. “I missed it.”  
“No Mycroft, I haven’t seen it happen before.”  
“Oh my dear.” Mycroft picked him up and kissed him. “You can stand…soon you’ll be running around.” he smiled.  
“I go back to bed.” Greg mumbled, Mycroft wasn’t really listening to him.  
“He stood up.” he snuggled to Greg’s arms.  
“I know…you woke me.”  
“But he did it!”  
“And he’ll do it again and soon they will run around, driving us crazy.”  
“You wanted to stay.”  
“I’m happy to see the other side.” he kissed his temple. “Sleep now.”  
“Okay.” he mumbled. “And she is up.” Mycroft sighed and tried to get up.   
“Wait.”  
“But I did.”  
“With Henry, now wait with her too.”  
“Tomorrow is your turn.” Mycroft reluctantly laid back.  
“I’m working.”  
“Oh, yes.” he mumbled. “I’m not dating you so you help out.”  
“I know…I have other useful aspects too.” Mycroft rolled over and kissed him.  
“Love you.” he whispered, Greg opened his eyes. “I better go.”  
“You said it out and you run away?” Greg grabbed his hand.  
“She needs me.”  
“Just you know, I love you too.” Greg pulled him back to a long kiss. “And she stopped…see it’s working.”  
“Is she okay?”  
“Of course.” Greg covered him with the blanket.  
“But what if she died or…”  
“My, please. We talked about it.”  
“I better check on them.”  
“You’ll just wake them again.”  
“I have to see.” he got out of his arms and went to the baby room. He soon came back for his phone.  
“Alive?”  
“You must see them.” he whispered and went back to take a photo.   
“You’ll wake them up with the flash light.” Greg stepped next to him. “God how cute they are.”  
“See how he hugs her…I have a photo me and Sherlock in a similar position.” Greg wrapped his arms around him. “I was scared that one of them or both will turn out like my sister.” Greg frowned but he thought Mycroft was exhausted and mixed up words.  
“No, no…they are you love…from top to their little toes.” he kissed his temple. “Let’s get back to bed.”  
“Okay.” Greg had to drag him away from the crib. “I thought this would be a good picture to announce it to my mother. Put the two next to each other, send it in the post.”  
“My…why don’t we all go down one weekend?”  
“No way.”  
“Why?”  
“It’d be awkward, ending with me running home.”  
“Or they’d be too happy to have grandchildren that they’ll melt in a second.”  
“No…How am I going to explain it?”  
“What?”  
“You…I broke up with him and a few weeks later…”  
“It was two months actually, our first official date I mean.”  
“Or I tell her we’ve been together for longer…way longer.”  
“We decided on the kids together?”  
“Yes.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“I have to think about that.”  
“In the morning, please.” he pulled Mycroft to his arms. “Please let us sleep now.”  
“Yes, that is what I want. I love you Gregory.”  
“Me too My, me too.” he kissed him.


	5. Chapter 5

“No turning back now.”  
“Nope.” Greg parked the car and took Mycroft’s hand.  
“I’m really sure this won’t end well.”  
“And I’m really sure it will…you heard how happy they were when you called them. They miss you.”  
“No they don’t.”  
“Are you deaf?”  
“No.”  
“Love you.” Greg kissed his temple and got out of the car.  
“Mycroft!”  
“Hello dad.” he stepped to him.  
“Your mum not home yet.”  
“Good.”  
“Why?” Greg waved at him.   
“Dad this is Gregory, my partner.”  
“And them?”  
“Mine.”  
“Oh…” he went closer. “Hello beautiful, hello.” he leaned down with a smile. “So beautiful.”  
“They are.” Greg took out the bags. “Greg Lestrade Sir.”  
“Call me Sieger.” he shook his hand. “Are you two are together?”  
“We are.”  
“Mycroft?” he turned but he already disappeared.   
“Better he tells you the story.”  
“Come, I show you around. What are they called?”  
“Henry and Elisabeth.”  
“Dears, how old?”  
“They’ll be one in a month…already running around. They run like their life depends on it.” he chuckled.  
“Mycroft!” he yelled. “Please come here.”  
“I’m just bringing up the crib.” he came up from the basement covered in dust, carrying parts of the crib. “We tried sleeping with them once, they kicked us all night long.”  
“I help.”  
“I can manage.”  
“No, no.” his father went down with him.  
“So? What happened?”  
“He walked out on me, left the kids alone in the house.”  
“No.”  
“Yes…Gregory helped out and we got closer and closer…the kids adore him.”  
“He loves them very much too.”  
“I truly love him.”  
“I believe you.” he smiled at him. “They are so much like you.” he smiled at him.  
“Just worried what mum will say.” they climbed the stairs.  
“What do you expect me to say?” he met his mother on the top of the stairs.  
“Hello mummy.”  
“Mycroft dear, yours?”  
“Yes.”  
“So adorable.”  
“Loud and mischievous.”  
“As they should be, as they should be.” she kissed Henry who chuckled. “Put it down and we talk. I sent Greg to pack out, he can put it together too.”  
“Okay.” Mycroft reluctantly followed her to the sitting room.  
“What happened with Charles?”  
“Left us.”  
“Just left?”  
“Leaving them alone in the house.”  
“Alone? For how long?”  
“I guess hours, they were crying, hungry…Gregory helped me and we got together two months ago.”  
“Why not call me?”  
“I’m not sure…”  
“What were you scared of?”  
“You.” he mumbled.  
“Me? Why? I’d be so happy to see every step they make…oh I see.”  
“I just…”  
“I know, you need distance. I still can’t accept that.”  
“Not always, just…”  
“I know Mycroft. You come down, you call us when you feel like it and I cherish those moments. Will you come more regularly?”  
“Or you come up.”  
“I’d love to.” she smiled. “I can help you know, I had you.”  
“I know.” he caught the running Elisabeth. “You need sleep dear.” she wiggled in his hands. “No, no…let’s see if Gregory put the crib together.”  
“Wait a little more.”  
“They’ll be cranky.”  
“Yes, but if I let you go now we won’t finish our conversation.”  
“What else you want to know mother?”  
“How are you? You were together for eight years.”  
“I’m angry at him…but I almost run after him when he turned up again...so it was confusing in the beginning. Now I don’t even think of him, no need to waste time on him.”  
“Good.”  
“I can’t imagine why he chose to stay with us.”  
“Because I love you.” Greg came down and kissed the top of his head. “And them.” he took Elisabeth from him. “Better put her down.”  
“I go too.”  
“No need, just talk with your mum.” he took Henry too.  
“Clever man.” she chuckled.  
“I love him so much.” Mycroft whispered turning red.  
“I can see that. I hope it’ll work out.”  
“Thank you. I better go up.” he sighed hearing them cry. “Thankfully now they sleep through the night. It was a battle for me mostly, Greg had to stop me from running to their room every time they cried…but now they sleep. I actually have a picture I wanted to show you.” he took it out.  
“Oh, just like you and Sherlock.”  
“I know.” Greg came down.  
“Quickly asleep.” he sat next to him.  
“Good.”  
“Hungry?”  
“Yes, we left after work…and Mycroft again left out lunch.”  
“It was a busy day.” he mumbled.  
“Yes, like always.”  
“When will you get married?”  
“Mother.” Mycroft sighed, Greg just chuckled.  
“I heat up the dinner, you figure out the date.”  
“You are playing a dangerous game Gregory.”  
“Why?”  
“She is happy I have the kids, now she won’t stop enquiring about the wedding.”  
“She will.”  
“Since I came out…I was six, she’s been whining about me not having children.”  
“I told you, you’ll make beautiful babies.” she came back.  
“Please just forget the wedding talk for the weekend.”  
“All right dear. But you can’t deny that I was right.”  
“You were, as always.” he sighed and pulled Greg with him to the kitchen.

“So this is where the great Mycroft Holmes…”  
“Hid from his classmates.” Mycroft took over.  
“It was that bad?”  
“Really bad.” he sighed. “For some reason everyone knew that I was gay and being fat just made it worse.”  
“You lost it.”  
“Depression solved it.”  
“So it’s not the first time.”  
“No, sorry.”  
“It’s okay, I told you before.”  
“Yes we are going, we are going.” Mycroft mumbled and pushed the stroller further. “I don’t come home because of the memories, not because I don’t love my parents.”  
“Why not tell it to them?”  
“Never did, they had enough problems.” he shrugged.  
“How often are we going to come here?”  
“I think once a month should be sufficient.”  
“Okay…My…”  
“Yes?”  
“I want to introduce you to my mum.”  
“Really?”  
“Yes.”  
“Okay.” he whispered. “I’m not good with parents, I’m still awkward.”  
“It’ll be fine, promise.”  
“Kids too?”  
“Yes, she’ll be over the moon.”  
“Fine, fine…but you must promise not to leave me alone with them for a second.”  
“What if I need the bathroom?”  
“Go before and once we get home.” Greg laughed.  
“Love you.” he tried to kiss him, but Mycroft stepped aside. “My?”  
“Sorry, it’s just old habits.” he mumbled and took his hand.  
“I can understand, but I’m here…I’ll protect you.”  
“Then start with them.”  
“Who are they?”  
“That is my main torturer and his wife.”  
“What does he do?”  
“He was a fire fighter.”  
“I don’t think I can compete with him, I’m rather behind the desk these days…” he mumbled.  
“Holmes?” he stopped.  
“George.” he nodded.  
“Haven’t seen you in ages.”  
“Luckily.” he mumbled.   
“My wife, Mary…my old classmate Mycroft.”  
“Ma’am. This is DI Lestrade and my twins.”  
“How adorable.” she smiled.  
“Thank you.” Mycroft forced a smile on his face.  
“Well, see you around.”  
“Bye.”  
“DI Lestrade?” Greg raised an eyebrow.  
“Sorry, I don’t know why I…” Greg wrapped his arm around his waist.   
“My peculiar, insecure fox.”  
“I was a penguin before.”  
“I know.” he chuckled. “Let’s show them off.”  
“Why?” he whispered.  
“To make them jealous; to show everyone that you have a magnificent…”  
“Job.”  
“I wanted to say boyfriend.” Greg chuckled.  
“Love you.” Mycroft kissed him. “Let’s show you off then.”  
“We barely go walking together at home.”  
“You know why.”  
“I know, I know love. That is why I’m happy to be out here, with you three.”  
“I’m sorry I can’t give that to you.”  
“It’s okay.”  
“Is it?”  
“Maybe we should get married and then you believe that I want to be with you.”  
“I believe you.”  
“What is it?” Greg stopped him.  
“Nothing.” Mycroft tried to smile at him.  
“You are not going to therapy. My, why lie about it?”  
“I don’t need it.” he mumbled.  
“You clearly do.”  
“I told you, you won’t like the other side.”  
“I love it.”  
“No you don’t.”  
“How do you know that? Hmmm?”  
“I just know.”  
“You don’t love, you don’t.” he cupped his face. “So why not go? Wait, I know the answer; not enough time.”  
“I’m tired, I want to go home.”  
“London?”  
“I just want to go home.”  
“Let’s get back to your parent’s.”  
“I want to go home.”  
“With me?”  
“Why do you ask?”  
“Because you still don’t believe how much I want to be with you.”  
“I told you I’m a mess.”  
“You are not.” Greg rested his forehead against his. “You are not…please believe me.” Mycroft sighed not looking him in the eyes.  
“Okay, we go home tonight, I got a call from work.”  
“Thank you.”

“Will you talk to me now?” Greg asked once they got home and put the kids to bed.  
“I was talking to you.”  
“Not after the walk. I’m just worried for you.”  
“It’s actually work…and I should remember to eat, to go to therapy, spend time with them and not to neglect you…” he sunk to the bed. “It’s just a little bit much at the moment.”  
“I see.” Greg stroked his back. “Going down didn’t help.”  
“Not really.” Greg pulled him to the bed and stroked his hair.  
“Okay love.”  
“Nothing is okay.” he mumbled.  
“Everything is fine, promise. I’ll call you to remind you to eat and to go to therapy…you can take that off the time you spend with me…but we are together every night, so you don’t have to worry about neglecting me.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Yes.” he kissed him. “Now sleep, we’ll have all day tomorrow together.”  
“Love you Gregory.”  
“I know My, I know.” he hold him tightly, waiting for Mycroft to fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Greg walked up and down with the phone in his hand, really not being sure to call Mycroft or not. He was sure he wouldn’t want someone who just murdered his brother around; Sherlock died and he had a hand in it. He jumped when the phone rang.  
“Mr. Holmes.” he whispered.  
“Gregory could you open your door? I’ve been ringing the bell for a while now.” he reluctantly went to the door and opened it. “Good evening Gregory.”  
“Evening.” he stepped aside to let them in. “What can I do for you?”  
“You could stop avoiding us, the last thing I need is losing you too.”  
“But it’s my fault.” he whispered.  
“All of us had a hand in it, but it was my brother’s decision. I would do everything to change that, believe me.”  
“Me too.” Greg sat down. “I’m so sorry Mycroft.”  
“I know.” he sighed. “Me too.” he sat next to him. “Now only you three are here for me. Please don’t leave.” he whispered.  
“I’m here, promised after all…I thought you wouldn’t want me around.”  
“I do want to be with you.”  
“Look at them quiet, considerate, wise children.”  
“Little actors like their uncle and they laugh at me, you laugh at me.” he tried to smile but instead his tears started to fell.  
“Come here.” Greg pulled him to a tight hug, Mycroft buried his face to his shoulder. “Shhh, shhh love…it’s really hard now, but we’ll get through it.” he stroked his back. “I’m here for you, I’ll help…whatever you need; I’m here for you.” Mycroft just whined tightly wrapping his arms around him. Greg stroked his back in silence till he calmed down. “Want a tea?”  
“Please.” he whispered.  
“Sure.”   
“Mind if they run around and ruin your flat?” Mycroft called after him.  
“Not at all.” Mycroft took the twins out of the stroller. As soon as their feet touched the ground they started to run. “There they go!” Greg chuckled.  
“They really miss you.”  
“Really?”  
“Yes, Gegg…that is you…at first I had no idea what they wanted and then it hit me. They were missing you too.”  
“Ahhhh, my dears. Come here princess. Oh…not there!” he ran after her. “Got you.” he chuckled as she tried to get out of his arms. “No, no princess. Now, come and sit down for a second with me.”  
“Gegg!”   
“That is me.” he smiled at her, he wanted to sat to the sofa but Mycroft was curled up sleeping on it. “Okay, okay…come here Henry. Please come here. Thank you. Now little pirates, we’re going to play a game...”  
After Greg tucked them in he went back to check on Mycroft, he was still out. As gently as he could he took off Mycroft’s shoes and covered him with a blanket. He looked around where to sleep now, then decided to make his bed on the floor next to Mycroft. He knew his back will hurt but there wasn’t another option.  
Greg woke up when someone stroked his hair.  
“Yes?” he finally opened his eyes.  
“Your back will hurt.”  
“Kids are in my bed.” he yawned.  
“Why not come up here? You have a comfortable sized sofa.”  
“Okay.” it was enough persuasion for him, so he settle next to Mycroft wrapping his arms around him. Mycroft rested his head on his chest. “Comfy enough?”  
“Perfect.” he sighed. “I’m sorry I fell asleep.”  
“No problem, we had fun.”  
“Good. Eaten anything?”  
“Yes, fed, bathed and tucked in.” Mycroft chuckled.  
“I don’t know how I would get over it without you.”  
“I’m here.”  
“Thank you so much.” he whispered. “I’m sorry.”   
“No, no My, no need. I told you several times.”  
“I know.” he whispered

“Home?” Mycroft asked in the morning.  
“Of course.”  
“You know I was really scared when you disappeared.”  
“I’m sorry, I most likely reminded you to him.”  
“Not really, I was rather panicking…thinking he did something to you.”  
“Nothing.”  
“Have you read the papers?”  
“I read them…and I know that they are lying bastards.”  
“Are they?”  
“Yes…I think.”  
“Not everything, small truth and they believe everything…Dr. Watson saw right through me.”  
“What do you mean by that?”  
“Who do you think was the source.” he didn’t look up.  
“But why?”  
“To make Moriarty talk…that was the only way.”  
“Why?”  
“Why, why…” Mycroft sighed. “We needed him to talk, we tortured him, but nothing.”  
“So in order to get him talk you sold out your baby brother.”   
“You sound just like Dr. Watson.”  
“Because I’m here.” Mycroft’s head shot up, he looked around but only saw Greg kneeling in front of him with a worried look.  
“My?”  
“Yes?”  
“Are you okay?”  
“No…perfectly, what did you just say.” he shook himself.  
“I asked why you did it.”  
“It was needed…I never thought he’d do this.”  
“You can’t predict crazy. I know you wouldn’t do it if you had any idea that it’ll end like this.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“I know you’re all for queen and country, but you love Sherlock more; you’d do anything for him.” he took his hands.  
“I didn’t tell him any significant data.”  
“I know.”  
“I just…I’m so sorry this happened, I’m so sorry I had to do this.”  
“I know, I think it’ll be better if we go home now.”  
“Okay. I collect the kids.”  
“I catch the little pirates, you just rest here.”  
“Sherlock loved to play pirates.” he mumbled. “Are you going to the funeral?”  
“Yes. Will you be there?”  
“No, sorry.”  
“As you feel best.”  
“I just can’t spend time with Dr. Watson.”  
“He blames you?”  
“I didn’t push him off…could you make him shut up.” Mycroft grunted.  
“Who?” Greg tried to keep out the worry from his voice.  
“Dr. Watson.” Mycroft laid down.  
“Have you slept tonight?”  
“Not for days…I couldn’t.” he mumbled.  
“Okay, let’s get home now.” Greg collected the kids and helped Mycroft up who followed him in silence.

“He doesn’t even show up.” John snorted.  
“It’s a funeral John.”  
“Sherlock’s funeral.”  
“Yes, his brother’s, so try not to talk trash about him.”  
“It’s his fault!”  
“That Moriarty chose Sherlock? That he went to meet him? That he jumped off the roof? Sherlock drew too much attention to himself.”  
“Sure.”  
“I’m not going to argue with you about it.” Greg sighed. “I rather go home.”  
“You’re never home, I went to see you.”  
“Well I know it’s surprising but I have a life. I’m not only here to babysit Sherlock.”  
“No you are here to lick Mycroft’s shoes. What you get, promotion? Secret pat on the back?”  
“Deep breaths Gregory, deep breaths.” he mumbled walking away from him.

“See why I stayed home?” Mycroft looked up at him.  
“I see.” he pushed aside the toys and sat down.  
“Dr. Watson?” Greg leaned to him.   
“I had to keep myself back not to hit him.”  
“Everyone grieves differently.”  
“He by being an asshole.”  
“I deserve it.”  
“No you don’t.” Greg wrapped his arms around him.  
“Dada.”  
“Yes your dada.” Greg smiled at her. “I’m hugging you dada.”  
“Mine.”  
“Yours? Can’t we share?”  
“No.” se pouted, Henry climbed to Mycroft’s lap.   
“Dad.” he exclaimed.  
“No, Dada.” she tried to climbed up too. “Mine.” Mycroft scooped up both of them.  
“I think we can arrange something to share me, don’t you think?”  
“No.” she started to cry. “Mine.”  
“See Mycroft, everyone fights for you.” Greg kissed his temple.  
“I better put her to bed.”  
“No, no, no.” she continued to cry.  
“Yes love.” Mycroft stood up. “I hope you’re not going to be sick.” he frowned.


	7. Chapter 7

“Hiding form me? They called me that you didn’t pick them up.” Greg walked to the dimly lit room of the Diogenes.  
“Maybe.” he put down the glass and stood up.  
“I met him.”  
“I’m so sorry that I lied. I had to…” Greg wrapped his arms around him.  
“Love.” he kissed him.  
“Aren’t you mad?”  
“No.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Yes…I missed that bloody idiot.”  
“I missed him so much.” he hugged back.  
“I figured.” he kissed his temple. Mycroft melted to his embrace. “I’ve got you love.” he stroked his back. “I’ve got you.”  
“I hope you didn’t tell him about the twins?”  
“No, nor that we are dating.”  
“I thought he already figured that.”  
“How?”  
“You hugged him.”  
“He was complaining?”  
“Rather confused. You were smoking again.”  
“Sorry.”  
“You know I only put it down because of you.”  
“I know, please don’t start again, it’s a bad habit.”  
“Where are they?”  
“With mum, I thought we could have the night off. You can rest after your trip.”  
“I went to find him.”  
“Really?”  
“I worked on the field…a long time ago.” Mycroft collected his coat.  
“Where was he?”  
“Destroying Moriarty’s network, I found him in Serbia.”  
“I can’t picture you…”  
“I want to forget it, believe me. It was filthy and smelled terrible and loud and…” Greg kissed his temple.  
“He is home now.”  
“Yes. The tears were real…I wasn’t playing.”  
“I know; he was on his own, you weren’t there to protect your baby brother. You were scared what will he do, what will happen to him…I understand.”  
“He is so careless.” Mycroft sighed.  
“We are here to watch over him again. How John took it?”  
“He hit him; several times.” Mycroft chuckled. “He was surprised that he has a life.”  
“Isn’t he jealous?”  
“Of what?”  
“Mary.”  
“Why would he?” Mycroft opened the car door for Greg.  
“Isn’t he in love with him?”  
“Who?”  
“Who, who…” Mycroft leaned to him.   
“I don’t follow you.”  
“Sherlock, isn’t he in love with John?”  
“He’s not gay.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Yes, I talked with him about it.”  
“If you say so.”   
“I think Dr. Watson will get married soon.”  
“Bet?”  
“You know I don’t bet.”  
“I know love, I know.” he stroked his hair. “My…” Greg started hesitantly.  
“Yes?”  
“Elisabeth said something today.”  
“Oh…of course she did. I asked her…not asked begged her not to tell you; I even offered to get her a puppy…well no puppy for her.”  
“I’m glad.”  
“You don’t want to…it’s okay. I’ll get over it…just forget it…” Greg cupped his face and kissed him.  
“I’d gladly marry you Mycroft Holmes.”  
“Really?” he whispered shakily.  
“Truly.” Greg kissed him again, resting his forehead against his.  
“Just promise me something…”  
“I’m not walking out on you, I think that is clear from me staying with you all this time.”  
“Thank you.”  
“I love you Mycroft.” he whispered stroking his face with his thumbs.  
“I love you too.” he leaned to him. “Are we going home?”  
“Yes.”  
“I’ve drunk so much tonight.”  
“Why?”  
“I thought you’d be so angry you leave me…and I was about to propose so the thought of losing you right now was too much. Hence the whiskey.”  
“Fancy kind?”  
“What do you think?” Mycroft chuckled.  
“And no eating.”  
“How do you know that?”  
“I know you well enough…I can’t wait to call you husband mine.” Greg kissed his temple.  
“I’m already yours.” Mycroft looked up at him.  
“And I’m yours.” he kissed him and chuckled.  
“What?”  
“You are so adorable.”  
“Am I?” he snuggled to his arms.  
“Yes love…please wait with sleeping till we get home, I can’t drag you up the stairs.”   
“Hmmm.”  
“Mycroft!”  
“Okay, okay.” he yawned.  
“My dear.” he chuckled.

“Gregory.” he whispered when Greg tucked him in.  
“Sleep, I’ll be here in a second.”  
“I want a baby with you.”  
“With me?” he chuckled.  
“You know what I mean.” he pulled him to the bed.  
“You are drunk and happy that your brother is back…”  
“Not just that.”  
“Have you forgotten what it comes with?”  
“Sleepless nights, crying, teething, nappies…adorable baby, smiles, clothes, walks in the park, kisses…I really want one.”  
“Why?”  
“You don’t want one.” he turned his back to him.  
“Not that My, I’d love to have a baby with you. Honestly.” he wrapped his arms around him. “Just you told me that you only had the twins because of him and I don’t want you to…”  
“I just needed time, I’d get to the point when I want one on my own…I really want one.” he turned in Greg’s arms. “But only if you agree, I do not want to pressure you to this.”  
“I always dreamed of a big family.”  
“How big?”  
“Big.” Greg kissed him. “Promise.”  
“So is it a yes?”  
“We talk about again when you are sober.”  
“But it’s not a no?”  
“Not a no.” he kissed him. “Night love.”  
“Night Gregory.”

 

“He is beautiful.” Mycroft was sitting in the rocking chair.  
“Charles Holmes-Lestrade; he looks just like you. Henry has more from Sherlock, but him…red hair, pale, blue eyes…just like his dada.”  
“Isn’t it a problem that he’s mine too?”  
“We talked about it a lot My. I’m really okay with it, I love him never the less.” he kissed his temple.  
“And the sleepless nights?”  
“Those too.”  
“You pick the twins up?”  
“Of course.”  
“And not leaving me?”  
“Why do you think I married you?” he kissed Mycroft. “You just sit here and watch him.”  
“Okay.” he whispered not looking up.  
“Are you happy My?”  
“What do you think?”  
“I can’t really tell why you are crying now.” he knelt down to look him in the eyes.  
“He is so gorgeous…thank you.”  
“What for?”  
“Agreeing to have him.”  
“Oh love.” he stroked his face.  
“Won’t the others be jealous?”  
“No, no…you remember how excited they were when we told them?”  
“Yes.”  
“And soon you can see it for yourself.”  
“I’ll be here.” he whispered.  
“Be right back.” Greg kissed him.

“Is he going to cry a lot?” Elisabeth asked looking at her new baby brother.  
“You did that too.”  
“No.”  
“No?” he chuckled. “Oh, you did…a lot. Ask Gregory.”  
“You did, My called me several times during the nights.”  
“Why? Where were you?”  
“Oh…I did it again.” he sighed.  
“Talk time.” Mycroft put the baby down. “I would have told you, with time…”  
“Are we adopted?”  
“No, you are mine…just that time I was living with someone else.”  
“Why break up?”  
“He walked out on us…I was alone with you, Gregory visited us and helped a lot…and we got together when you were ten month old.”  
“And been together since that.” Greg took his hand.  
“That’s it?”  
“Yes.”  
“I thought something worse…so back to the baby.” she climbed to the side of the crib.  
“Careful, don’t wake him.”  
“Charles…Charlie.”  
“No dear, Charles.” Elisabeth chuckled.   
“Whatever. He is small and ugly.”  
“Lizzy.” Greg laughed. “You looked like that too.”  
“No way.”  
“He is not ugly, none of you were.” Mycroft picked her up.   
“He is.” Charles opened his eyes. “You are like a little raisin.”  
“Elisabeth; go down and get the album, I show you how you looked like.” he stroked the little boy’s hair.  
“Are we going to see dad from now on?”  
“Of course princess, just give him a few days.” Greg took her hand. “Let’s find the pictures.”  
“See? I’m cute.” she opened the album.  
“That is your brother.” Mycroft walked behind them.  
“How do you know?”  
“I’m your father if you forgot.”  
“Nope…even if you don’t think of me as pretty.”  
“You are beautiful my love.” Mycroft hugged her. “Just when you were a baby, you looked just like your brother.  
“I looked better, I looked better.” Henry climbed up to the sofa.  
“Nooooo!”  
“Why not daddy is the father?” he asked ignoring his sister.  
“Because we decided like this…we talked a lot about it, you can believe me.”  
“Too much if you ask me.” Greg mumbled.  
“Very funny…”  
“Why?”  
“Dad loves to talk everything through hundreds time, making sure that the parties understands each other clearly…”  
“Party! We are going to have a welcome baby party!” Elisabeth jumped up.  
“Are we?”  
“Yes! Please…please…please…”  
“No.” Mycroft sighed. “He is too young for that. You can plan his first birthday.”  
“Deal.”  
“What have you done My.” Greg chuckled.


	8. Chapter 8

“Make sure he’s looked after.” Sherlock followed Greg.  
“Okay, Sherlock.”  
“He will try to send you away, but…”  
“I get it.”  
“Don’t just send someone there, go yourself, see him with your two eyes and…”  
“I think I can take care of my husband!” he snapped.  
“Wait…” Sherlock stood dumbstruck. “Wait what?”  
“He’ll kill me for this.” Greg grunted, rubbing his eyes.  
“You married my brother!”  
“He asked me, yes.”  
“You and my brother!”  
“And the kids.”  
“KIDS!”  
“Shhh.”  
“How many?”  
“Three, the fourth on the way.”  
“No.”  
“Yes.”  
“Why offer himself up then?” he frowned.  
“Hmmm?”  
“He wanted me to shoot him instead of John…”  
“Jesus.”  
“I have to talk to him, where is he?”  
“Home.”  
“Come John.”  
“Only you.” Greg stopped him. “No offence, but one of you’ll be more than enough now.”  
“But John…”  
“John has nothing to do with my husband, they are not family, nor friends. I’m not going to let him to our home now.”  
“He is a doctor.”  
“He got checked already. You come or not, you decide.”  
“Sorry John.” Sherlock followed him to the car.

“It’s just me My.”  
“And my brother.” he whispered. He was laying in bed with the kids, who fell asleep watching a cartoon.  
“Sorry, he angered me and it slipped out.”  
“It was a matter of time.” Greg sat next to him, carefully picking up the little boy.  
“You don’t seem that pregnant.” Sherlock sat down too.  
“Very funny.” Mycroft rolled his eyes.  
“You have so much to lose.” he whispered  
“You’d lose Dr. Watson, Rosamund would lose both her parents all because of me. She tortured you, because of me…you had to watch the governor shoot himself, condemn three brothers, make Dr. Hooper say out that she loves you…all because of me.”  
“You’d give up your family in order to save me from losing my friend.” Mycroft nodded. “You are mental.”  
“Dad is not crazy, it’s okay to go to therapy.” Henry woke up.  
“Hello.”  
“Hi, I’m Henry.”  
“Would you take them to bed Gregory?”  
“Sure. Come Henry, wake your sister please.”  
“You’d die leaving them alone?” Sherlock continued once they left.  
“Gregory is here.”  
“Why not tell me?”  
“You could have shown interest in me.” he got up and collected the toys scattered in the room.  
“I thought you don’t want me around.”  
“You thought.” he mumbled and headed off to the kitchen with Sherlock in his heels.  
“Where are you running now?”  
“I’m not running anywhere. I make the kid’s lunch for tomorrow.”  
“Why do this?”  
“Because they need to eat.”  
“Don’t avoid the matter.”  
“I would give up my life in order to save you…this is me, been all my life. I’d give up anything to make you happy.” he opened the fridge.  
“When we last were here…”  
“Gregory took the kids to his parents for a visit.”  
“All yours?”  
“The fourth not.”  
“Have you thought of them while we were in Sherrinford?”  
“I tried not to…I would fell apart very quickly.”  
“That were you being collected?” he mumbled. “Sorry.” he added quickly.  
“Doesn’t matter, I got used to it.”  
“And you still keep my interest in front of yours and your family’s.”  
“Gregory knew it when we got married.”  
“I still can’t understand you.”  
“You don’t have to, it’s my life.”  
“Not only yours, you have a husband, three children and a cat.”  
“It’s a dog.” he rolled his eyes.  
“Fine.”  
“Could we drop the matter?”  
“No.”  
“Why? Want me to break down in tears admitting that I fucked up as a parent? You want me to say out that I gave up on them? You want me too…” Sherlock wrapped his arms around him.  
“Shhh My.” he stroked his back. “Shhh, shhh…”  
“I failed them.” he sobbed. “I failed you, my sister, our parents and now them too.” he sobbed. “I ruin everyone’s life. I only ruin it…”  
“No Mycroft, you don’t…you didn’t fail us.” he got himself out of Sherlock’s arms and went upstairs.  
“Gregory.” he whispered standing at the door.  
“Come here love.” he pulled him to a hug.  
“I’m so sorry, so sorry…I messed up, I’m sorry...please believe me…”  
“Love...” Greg stroked his back.  
“I was prepared to leave you all for Sherlock. I’m so sorry, please forgive me, please…I can lose you now…please…please…”  
“Shhhh, shhh, it’s okay, it’s okay love.”  
“No it’s not.”  
“Please believe me…Please. We are here, not going anywhere. You’ll have to put up with us till the end of times. Do you know what you need now?”  
“Don’t divorce me.”  
“Didn’t cross my mind. Now you need a hot bath, a cup of tea and a good night’s sleep…with me of course. Good?” Mycroft nodded. “You go and have a bath and I talk to Sherlock till that.”  
“I didn’t finish their lunch.”  
“I’ll do that, no worries.”  
“I love you.” he whispered and kissed him.  
“I love you too My.” he cupped his face. “With all my heart.” he kissed him again. “Now go, I want to hear the running water.” Mycroft reluctantly let go of him.

“Sherlock.”  
“I finished the lunches.”  
“Thanks.”  
“How’s he?”  
“Been better.”  
“I’m sorry, tell him please.”  
“Of course, please don’t keep bringing this up.”  
“Sherrinford?” Greg nodded.  
“Not going to be easy…I want to know more about her.”  
“Then ask your parents or wait till he gets better, please. I also want to ask you not to mention us to anyone else.”  
“Okay.”  
“I really mean it.”  
“I get it.”  
“It’s in order to protect the kids.”  
“It’s not me who is slow.”  
“Nor Gregory.” Mycroft came down.  
“Your tea love.” Greg gave him the mug. “I’ll be up soon.”  
“Okay.”  
“See you Mycroft.”  
“Good night brother mine.”

“Here I am, everyone settled, everything ready for tomorrow.”  
“Sorry.”  
“What for? Sherlock did the job for us.” he wrapped his arms around Mycroft. “Are you cold?”  
“No.”  
“You are shaking terribly.”  
“Hold me.” Greg pulled him close to his chest, stroking his back.  
“I’m here, I’ll never let you go.”  
“Me neither.”  
“Oh, princess.” Mycroft turned to pick her up.  
“Don’t leave me out.” Henry climbed up too, snuggling between his fathers.  
“No, no one stays out.” Mycroft kissed them.  
“What about Charles?”  
“He is sleeping finally, you don’t want to wake him now.”  
“Okay.”  
“I want another story!”  
“Now we need sleep love.” Greg kissed her.  
“Please daddyyyyy, pleeeaseee.”  
“I want a story too.” Mycroft looked at him.  
“Fine, fine. Everyone is settled comfortably?”  
“Yes!”  
“All right, once upon a time…”

 

“Were you mental, four children!”  
“Five actually…twins again if you forgot.”  
“Good lord.” Sherlock rolled his eyes.  
“I’m retired, I have the time.” he shrugged. “They need it.”  
“Will there be more?”  
“I don’t think so.” he smiled.  
“Why? You have the time now.” he repeated him.  
“Five is enough, thank you. Funny I said I won’t have any and here we are.”  
“Isn’t it strange looking after Lestrade’s kids.”  
“They are mine as much as his.” he finished feeding them.  
“Isn’t it boring, giving up the world for them?”  
“No, they worth it; I’m finally happy. I have time for the kids, myself and most importantly Gregory…”  
“I don’t need to hear about your sexual life.”  
“Jealous?”  
“I’m going home!” he got up.  
“You can have this too.”  
“No thanks.”  
“Dr. Hooper still loves you and you like her too.”  
“No…she just made me say it.”  
“Why spend more time with her then?”  
“You supposed to be off work, how’s that you still know where I am, what I do?”  
“My job is looking after you, that’ll never end…till I’m alive. Hungry?”  
“Are you cooking?”  
“Already did, I just put them down and we can eat.”  
“I put the plates out.”  
“Thank you.”

“Not scared from letting down your walls?”  
“It was time.” Mycroft put the lunch to the table.  
“I didn’t tell Mummy.”  
“She knows about them.” he shrugged. “They came to see the twins, she only talked with the kids, but I had the chance to talk with dad…it helped a lot.”  
“You were always his favourite.”  
“And you mummy’s…so it’s fair.” he smiled.  
“I assume I won’t see much of you from now on?”  
“You can come over anytime, I’m mostly home. And Charles and Rosamund can have play dates...if Dr. Watson let’s them close.”  
“Why wouldn’t he?”  
“He’s not too fond of me.” Sherlock didn’t answer to that.  
“Isn’t it bad always staying home?”  
“I take the kids to school, shop, walk…do the chores, we have trips, museum visits.”  
“Not lonely?”  
“Gregory is home, Anthea visits regularly...I don’t need others.”  
“Me?”  
“I’d be happy if you’d come over more often.”  
“Just worried, you are prone to fell depressed.”  
“You are here to prevent it.”  
“Am I?”  
“That is what you said.” he chuckled.  
“Are you on something?”  
“No.”  
“Seem like.”  
“This is behind the wall.” he shrugged. “Like it or not.”  
“If you are happy, I’m not complaining.”  
“Eat it, don’t throw it Charles!” he sighed. “Don’t you dare throw it back to him.” he looked at Sherlock seriously.

“We are home!” Greg announced.  
“Sleeping.” Sherlock shooed them.  
“Thanks.”  
“How’s he?”  
“Very well Sherlock, why?”  
“He’s been sleeping for hours now…you know it well that he can fall pretty low really quickly.”  
“I know, but there is a simple explanation to that. Twins still get up a lot during the night…so we sleep when they.” he smiled at him.  
“What?”  
“You are worried for him.”  
“Shut up Lestrade. I’m out of here.”  
“The door is always open.”  
“It is rather stupid thing leaving the door open, he can be in danger, now even more.”  
“Why?”  
“No security around him.”  
“You really think there’s no one watching over him? Are you getting old dear?” Greg chuckled and disappeared to the house.  
“Just blame it on the babies.” Henry stopped next to him with a serious expression. “Always works, left home something, missing homework…”  
“Missing homework!” Mycroft appeared. “Why do you have missing homework Henry?”  
“I just forgot it.”  
“I always ask…I can help if you have problems with it…”  
“I’m not a baby dad.” he sighed.  
“Answer me!”  
“It’s not my fault!” Sherlock disappeared.  
“Of course.” Mycroft rolled his eyes. “Where did he take you?”  
“Nowhere.” he mumbled.  
“Elisabeth!”  
“Don’t ask me, they left me to babysit and bake with Mrs. Hudson.” she sighed. “I never get to do anything interesting.” she went up the stairs. “And it’s not fair!” she yelled down.  
“Henry?”  
“Just the morgue.”  
“Just…just…”  
“I could practice dissection on a frog.”  
“Sherlock!”  
“I’m not here.”  
“I didn’t open the gate.”  
“He wanted to go.” he came back to the hall.  
“No where dangerous, I don’t want my son around drug dens, chemical wastelands, any tunnel, any closed down construction site…”  
“I’m not irresponsible.”  
“No, you are not.” he shook his head. “Up and doing homework this time. I’ll check it.”  
“Dad…”  
“I check it.”  
“Fine.” he bowed his head and run up the stairs.  
“I go now.”  
“Sherlock!”  
“Sorry, there is not much to do with Rosie, but he is clever and older and…”  
“Don’t leave Elisabeth home next time…you’ll be surprised what she knows…just be careful…”  
“Understood.”  
“See you.”  
“See you brother mine.”

“My.” Greg pulled him closer. “Are you happy?”  
“Sherlock got into your head my dear.” he snuggled to his embrace.  
“I’m just asking, work was your life and now you are out.”  
“I’m out, yes. If I wouldn’t have you I’d most likely be devastated. On my own, old, ugly, not wanted, discarded like trash…” Greg tightened his hold around him. “But I have you. I have tons of things to do, I don’t have to worry for not having enough time for the kids. I’m needed, wanted and even loved.”  
“Very much.” Greg kissed him.  
“So you don’t have to worry for me being happy…are you happy Gregory?”  
“More than ever.” he kissed him.  
“Even that we got kicked out of our bed?” Greg chuckled.  
“Stormy night, you know how they are.”  
“Hopefully…” Mycroft stopped mid sentence when Charles started to cry.  
“You jinxed it.” Greg chuckled. “Stay, I get him.”  
“Thank you.”  
“One more for the pile.” Greg came back.  
“I used to hate that the bed is this big.”  
“Not anymore?”  
“No.” he kissed him. “Night.”  
“Good night My.”  
“Night dad.”  
“Nigh dear.”  
“Night daddy.”  
“Night Lizzy.”  
“We consider it said by everyone, now sleep!” Mycroft grunted.


End file.
